Qantas A380 on maiden commerical flight from Sydney

By Arjun Ramachandran

The flying kangaroo soaring overhead might have looked bigger than normal today, as Qantas's first commercial A380 superjumbo flight from Sydney took off this afternoon.

QF11 departed Sydney at 2.07pm for Los Angeles, and was filled to about 90 per cent of its 450-seat capacity, a Qantas spokeswoman said.

The Qantas superjumbo's maiden Australian voyage left Melbourne on Tuesday, and was welcomed at Los Angeles International Airport by John Travolta, wearing a a Qantas pilot suit, and Olivia Newton-John, dressed in a flight attendant's uniform.

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But Qantas played down today's flight, and could not provide any details on who was on board or what sort of passengers had shown interest.

"We are not doing anything for this one ... it's a normal commercial flight," a spokeswoman said.

The maiden voyage from Melbourne sparked controversy in Victoria after it was revealed Victorian Police chief commissioner Christine Nixon had accepted a free trip.

Ms Nixon and her husband, former Qantas executive John Becquet, were among the VIP guests on the flight.

The aircraft has 450 seats across four cabins - 14 in first class, 72 in business class, 32 in premium economy and 332 in economy. (Photos: Inside the Qantas A380)

Sydney Airport spent $120 million on upgrades, including a strengthened runway, to accommodate the superjumbo.